Galatians 5:22-23 – But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, meekness, self-control; against such there is no law. (ASV)

Sometimes, we may wonder how well we really know a friend or a member of our family. Sometimes, we find out more a little later, and it serves up an opportunity to reflect on the events and the people that construct our tale.

One of those many instances jumped out at me a couple of days ago as I was riffling through a drawer of old greeting cards, notes, and assorted memories. I rediscovered a weathered, well-presented little card written by a brother-in-law, who passed away many years ago from cancer. He had been orphaned as a youngster when his parents died, and he was raised on a ranch in the Chilcotin country of British Columbia, Canada, by an uncle and aunt.

My sister, Ruthanne, took him as her husband, and we came to know and love him as a remarkably loyal and sensitive man who was dedicated to his family. But we really didn't always know how deeply talented and thoughtful he was until later when we found a stash of poetry which reflected a love of Christ. Peter, a poet? we thought.

From my memory drawer, I share with you some thoughts from one of our favourite kin… the late Peter Lea.

The Fruit of the Spirit

What is the fruit of the Spirit
As we read in God's Word this day?
Is it the fruit hanging on the vine
Picked by us from our garden each day?

I'm thinking there must be more to these words
Than a perishing fruit from the tree
So I went to God's Word, the Bible,
To see what His Word said to me

And there I found these words expressed
So very clear and bold
The fruit of the spirit is "Love"
And it's manifested in this way we are told

Joy is Love's strength, in Him we are strong
Peace is Love's security we have all day long
Longsuffering is Love's patience God gives us to bear
Gentleness is Love's conduct in view everywhere
Faith is Love's confidence we have in our Lord
Meekness is Love's humility — in His strength we're restored
Self control is Love's victory we have our life through
All this fruit is God's sign of Christianity in you

So check out God's Word in the Bible today
Ask Him to help you with this fruit when you pray
For Love is His blessing He has given to you
Our triune God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit too.

Prayer: Lord, in days of chaos and confusion, we thank You for reminders of the precious words of Scripture which Peter has so poetically presented for us, that Your central message is and always remains — Love! — to love You with all our heart and to love our neighbours as we love ourselves. We find it in Your Word and in the sacrifice of Your Son, Jesus Christ. Amen.